Scrubbing apparatus for pasting plates



P 1958 R. J. STEHLING ETAL SCRUBBING APPARATUS FOR PASTING PLATES 9 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 16, 1954 .4 lizard-10% IMJMM lid/p1: J firm/12247 p 1958 R. J. STEHLING ET AL 7 2,851,711

SCRUBBING APPARATUS FOR PASTING PLATES Filed June 16, 1954 9 Sheets-Sheet 2 Sept. 16, 1958 R. J. STEHLING E AL SCRUBBING APPARATUS FOR PASTING PLATES 9 Sheets-Sheet 3 led June 16 Sept. 16, 1958 R. J. STEHLING ET AL 2,851,711

SCRUBBING APPARATUS FOR PASTING PLATES Filed June 16, 1954 9 Sheets-Sheet 4 R. J. STEHLING ETAL SCRUBBING APPARATUS FOR PASTING PLATES Filed June 16, 1954 v Sept. 16, 1958 9 Sheets-sheaf. 5

Sept. 16, 1958 R, J. STEHLING ETAL 2,851,711

SCRUBBING APPARATUS FOR PASTING PLATES Filed June 16, 1954 9 Sheets-Sheet 6 R. J. STEHLING ETI'AL 2,851,711

* SCRUBBING APPARATUS FOR PASTING PLATES Filed June 16. 1954 7 Sept. 16, 1958 9 Sheets-Sheet 7 w: MMHH 'ibMpwW 375/;7/7 J 5mm;

. 161 A. fluirdida a R. J. STEHLING ETAL 2,851,711

SCRUBBING APPARATUS FOR PASTING PLATES 9 Sheets-Sheet 8 Sept. 16, 1958 Filed June 16, 1954 Sept. 16, 1958 R. J. STEHLING ETAL 2,851,711

SCRUBBING APPARATUS FOR PASTING PLATES Filed June 16, 1954 v 9 Sheets-Sheet 9 him United States Patent '"ce SCRUBBING APPARATUS FOR PASTIN G PLATES Ralph J. Stehling and Rafael A. Guardado, Milwaukee, Wis., assignors to The Chas. H. Stehling Company, Milwaukee, Wis, a corporation of Wisconsin Application June 16, 1954, Serial No. 437,226

9 Claims. (Cl. 15-4) This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for cleansing pasting plates after hides have been re moved therefrom.

In tanneries it it' customary to paste hides upon large flat metal plates which are moved from one location to another, during processing of the leather, along an overhead rail from which the plates are suspended by trolleys. After the hides are stripped from the pasting plates, it is necessary to cleanse each plate of paste before another hide is pasted thereon. Since water alone sprayed upon the opposite faces of the plates cannot remove all of the paste therefrom, it was customary in the past to scrub the plates with brushes while spraying water thereon.

The efficiency of any cleansing apparatus of this type, therefore, depends upon the effectiveness with which the plates are scrubbed; and in general it is the purpose of this invention to provide improved apparatus for cleansing pasting plates in a more eflicient and thorough manner than was possible in the past.

Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide apparatus of the character described with two sets of scrubbers mounted opposite one another and defining a scrubbing zone therebetween, each set of scrubbers comprising a plurality of individual brushes which are driven back and forth in unison in a common plane but along separate arcuate paths to effectively cleanse the pasting plates passing through the scrubbing zone.

More specifically, it is the purpose of this invention to provide plate scrubbing apparatus of the character described in which the brushes of each set of scrubbers are individually carried by arms which are mounted inan especially unique manner for up and down swinging motion in unison about horizontal axes to constrain the brushes to scrubbing motion along separate arcuate paths, and which arms are also mounted for lateral swinging motion about vertical axes to enable each brush to be moved relative to adjacent brushes toward and from the plane of a plate passing through the scrubbing zone.

Still another feature of the apparatus of this invention resides in the provision of control means connected with the brushes for simultaneously moving the brushes of each set thereof laterally away from the plane of a plate in the scrubbing zone without interfering with the.

up and down scrubbing motion of the brushes.

A further object of the invention is to provide plate scrubbing apparatus of the character described with squeegees mounted to act upon the cleansed faces of a plate leaving the scrubbing zone, to remove excess Water therefrom; and to provide control means for simultaneously and automatically moving the squeegees later-- ally away from the plane of the plate to inoperative positions clearing flanges on the leading and trailing edges of the plate.

With these and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, this invention resides in the novel construction, combination and arrangement 2,851,71i Patented Sept. 16, 1958 of parts substantially as hereinafter described and more particularly defined by the appended claims, it being understood that such changes in the precise embodiment of the herein-disclosed invention may be made as come within the scope of the claims.

The accompanying drawings illustrate two complete examples of the physical embodiments of the invention constructed according to the best modes so far devised for the practical application of the principles thereof, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the apparatus of this invention shown about to receive a pasting plate to be cleansed;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the apparatus with portions thereof broken away to illustrate the scrubbing mechanism, and showing a pasting plate in the scrubbing zone;

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken through Figure 2 along the plane of the line 3-3, at an enlarged scale;

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view illustrating the manner in which the brushes are mounted for up and down scrubbing motion toward and from an operative position;

Figure Sis a perspective view illustrating the mechanism for moving the brushes horizontally to and from their operative positions;

Figure 6 is a view taken through Figure 2 along the plane of the'line 6--6 and illustrating the means for governing the mechanism shown in Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 6 showing another pjosition of the parts thereof;

Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 2 but illustrating a modified embodiment of the apparatus in which squeegees are employed to remove excess water from the cleansed surfaces of the plates;

Figure 9 is a view taken through Figure 8 along the line 9-19;

Figure 10 is a fragmentary view of one of .the Squeegees, partly in section and partly in plan, showing the way in which the'squeegees are mounted on their control shafts; and

Figurell is a rear perspective view of one of the Squeegees shown connected to a portion of its control shaft.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the several views, the apparatus of this invention in general comprises two upright housings 5 mounted upon a common elongated base frame 6 in opposing relation to one another and spaced apart transversely of the base frame substantially equal distances to each side of the median vertical plane of the base frame to provide for edgewise passage of a pasting plate 7 therebetween. The space 8 between the housings 5, of course, defines a longitudinal scrubbing zone through which plates to be cleaned may be driven. Water is sprayed on the opposite faces of the plates as they pass through the. scrubbing zone, as by a number of spray nozzles 9 infeach housing 5 (see Figure 3) arranged in horizontal rows ,at several levels.

The space 8 aligns vertically with the rail 10 from which the pasting plates are suspended in vertical positions as by trolleys 11. These trolleys provide for edgewise movement of the pasting plates along the rail 1%) from one location to another in a conventional manner.

In the present case the rail 10 runs through a superstructure 13 supported on the upper ends of the housings 5 and which serves as a means to mount various mechanisms of the apparatus to be described hereafter.

I That portion of the rail 10 which extends through the superstructure however, is supported from a beam 15 extending longitudinally over the rail, parallel thereto, as by a number of drop rods 16.

It will be noted that the upright housings 5 are mounted on the rear portion of the base frame to provide space at the front end portion of the frame for apair:

of rubber driving wheels 18 mountedeupon; rotatable vertically disposed shafts (not shownland driven-atwa relatively slow rate of. rotation by. an.electri :v motor 19 mounted on the front on one of the. housings 5'. Itwillf be understood, of course, that suitable gear .reduction and transmission means 20 and 21 respectively may-be provided to drivingly connect the motor with the shafts of the wheels 18.

As seen best in Fig. 3 the axes of the-drive wheels 18 lie in a common vertical plane transverselyofjthe base frame. 6. Also, the wheels have their peripheries tangent to one another along the median.vertical plane of'the base frame, the latter, of course, passing midway between the upright housings 5 and through the overhead rail 10. It is along this median plane that the pastingplates 7 pass successively through the scrubbing zone betweenithehousings 5 tobe cleansed of the paste thereon.

Asia plate 7 to be cleansed is moved along the rail its leading edge 23 is manually pushed into the bite of the drive wheels 18which thereafter feed the plate into and part way through the scrubbing zone, and it is propelled the remaining distance through the scrubbing zone by the next plate fed into thebiteof the drive wheels 18 through the-engagement of its leading edge with the trailing edge 24 of the preceding plate.

To assure good driving engagement between the=adjacent leading and. trailing edges of the plates as well as to reinforce them, the plates are provided with flanges 25 which extendentirely around their edges and project from .bothfaces of the plates. Also, as seen best in Fig. 1, an upwardly opening trough-shaped guide 27 is mounted on the front portion of the base frame ahead of the drive wheels 18, and beneath the level thereof, to receive the lower front end portions of the pasting plates as they are manually pushed into the bite of the drive. wheels to hold the same against swinging flatwise out of the median vertical plane of the apparatus.

Extending upwardly inside the housings and through the top thereof is a. pair of transversely opposite vertical supporting members 29, each having its lower end fixed to one side rail of the base frame. A second pair of transversely opposite vertical supporting members 30 likewise projects upwardly inside the housings 5 and through the top thereof, and the lower end of each is fixed to a transverse beam 31 cm the base frameata location near the median vertical plane thereof. Thesupporting members 30 are offset slightly rearwardlyof the first designated supporting members 29.

For the sake of rigidity, the upright supporting members 29 and 30 in each housing 5 are joined together as by angle irons 32 extending horizontally between them at a number of locations along their length. Also for the sake of rigidity the upper ends of the supporting members 29, which form a part of the superstructure'13, are joined by a cross bar 33, while the upper endsof the supporting members 30 are joined to the underside of a cross bar 34 spanning the outer supportingmembers 29 and welded or otherwiserigidly fixed to the latter.

The scrubbers, of which there are. two sets36, one at each side of the median plane of the base frame and'in one of the housings 5, are carried jointly bythe upright supporting members 29 and 30 in a manner now about to be described. 5

Each set of scrubbers comprises a'number ofindividual rectangular brushes 38, five being employed in the present case, so mounted on the upright supporting members29 and 30 that they may swing up and down in paths, parallel to the median plane of the base frame, and so that they may also swing back and forth along paths substantially normal to the median plane of the base frame. For this purpose each set of scrubbers is pro- .vided with abearing. bracketv 39 for each brush having an upright tubular hub 40 fixed thereto and encircling an upright shaft 41 on the rear of one of the supporting members 30 to provide for oscillatory motion of the bracket about the shaft axis. Collars 42 on the shaft 41 engage the ends of the hubs 40 to hold the brackets 39 equispaced along the length of the shaft and against axial motion thereon.

As shown best in Figure4 each bearing bracket has transversely spaced bearing flanges 43 fixed to its rear which cooperate to pivotally support one cnd of an arm 44 having one of the brushes 38 secured to its opposite end. The pivotal connection between each arm and its bearing bracket may comprise a tubular hub 46 on the forward end of the arm confined between the bearing flanges 43 and encircling a pin 47 having its opposite ends anchored in the flanges 43 and held thereby with its axis horizontal;

The rear: end of each arm is received between spaced upper and lower flanges 49 secured tothe back of the brush andpreferablyhas a. pivotal connection with the brush. This: pivotalconnection may comprise a pivot pin ilcarried'by the flanges 49 with its axis parallel to the back of. the'brush and passing loosely through a vertieal hole (not shown) in the'rear extremity 53 of the arm, so that the-brushmay'rock back and forth about a substantially vertical axis relative to the arm upon which it is mounted to assure proper engagement of its bristles withthe adjacent face of a pasting plate in the scrubbing zone.

With the bearing brackets 39 mounted inthe manner described, the arms; 44 and the brushes thereon may swing-independently laterally toward and from engagementg-with the adjacent face of a pasting plate in the scrubbing Zone about a vertical axis. In addition, the brushes may swingendwise up and down about horizontal axes along intersecting arcuate paths to assure an extremely eflicient scrubbing action.

The arms 44 upon which the brushes are mounted may be said to normally extend substantially horizontally rearwardly. from their supporting members 30 and they are held iii-spaced parallel relationship with one another by motion inunison without interfering with lateral movement of=the arms relative to one another.

As best shown in Figures 3 and 4, each of the brush carrying arms is balanced on its pivot 47 by a counterweight 65' on the outer end of a bar 65' joined to the hub 46 of the arm and projecting forwardly therefrom through an opening inits bearing bracket.

Drive means indicated generally by the numeral 66 is provided for recurrently swinging the sets of scrubbers up and down in their scrubbing strokes. The drive means is carried by the superstructure 13 and comprises an electric motor 67 drivingly connected with an eccentric 68 in any-suitable'manner, and a pitman 69 having one end pivotally connected to the eccentric as at '70 and having its-other end connected with one of the arms 44 near the outer end portion thereof, as at 71. Obviously one pitman 69- is required for each set of scrubbers, as shown best in Figure 2. Consequently upon rotation of the eccentric 68, up and down winging motion is transmitted to the arms of each set of scrubbers by its pitman 69 at a relatively-rapid rate of motion so related to the speed at which thepasting plates are driven through the scrubbing zone by the rubber drive wheels 18'that the successive upward and downward strokes of the brushes overlap one another to assure .that all surfaces of the pasting plates will be acted upon by the brushes.

It is noteworthy that since each of the brushes is mounted on the outer or rear end of it arm 44 for rocking motion about a substantially vertical axis, that the brushes may accommodate themselves to irregularities in the surfaces of pasting plates contacted thereby to assure more or less uniform scrubbing pressure on all surfaces of the plates.

It is another highly important feature of this invention that the brushes are mounted for independent lateral motion away from the median plane of the base frame, or in other words away from the adjacent face of a plate in the scrubbing zone, against the force of biasing means which normally maintains the brushes engaged with the plates. Therefore, if any brush encounters a relatively large bump or surface irregularity on the pasting plate upon which it is acting, it will be moved outwardly there by independently of the other brushes, and returned into vertical alignment with the remaining brushes after the irregularity has passed the brush.

This feature is made possible by the provision of an extension 71 on each bearing bracket 39, projecting laterally away from the median plane of the base frame and terminating at an area directly behind but spaced from the adjacent upright supporting member 29. A stud 72 fixed in the upright supporting member 2 projects horizontally rearwardly therefrom and passes loosely through a horizontally elongated slot 73 in the extension 71 of the bracket to allow the latter to swing toward and from the supporting member 29.

Rocking motion of the bracket on its supporting shaft 41 in a direction to carry its brush 38 toward the median vertical plane of the base frame is adjustably limited by a pair of lock nuts 74 threaded on the rear extremity of the stud 72 to bear against the rear face of the bracket extension 71; and a coiled compression spring 75 encircling the stud 72 and confined endwise between the bracket extension 71 and'the upright supporting member 29 urges the bracket into engagement with the lock nuts and acts upon the brush through the arm 44 connected with the bracket to assure engagement of the brush with the adjacent side of a pasting plate under spring pressure.

With this construction it will be noted the brushes may swing laterally away from the median vertical plane of the base frame independently of one another, against the force of the compression springs 75 so that should any of the brushes encounter a convex irregularity in a pasting 'plate being scrubbed it may swing laterally outwardly without disturbing the scrubbing action of any of the other brushes.

In addition to being mounted for individual lateral swinging motion, the sets of brushes may also be moved laterally outwardly in unison, to clear the leading and trailing flanged edges of pasting plates traveling through the scrubbing zone. The mechanism for separating the brushes of the two sets of scrubbers and for returning them to scrubbing positions after the flanged edge of a pasting plate has passed rearwardly beyond the brushes will now be described.

Again referring to Figures 4 and 5 it will be noted that a control shaft 77 is provided for each set of scrubbers. Each shaft extends vertically in its housing 5 and projects upwardly through the top thereof to be journaled in a bearing 78 carried by the cross bar 33 near the top of the superstructure. The lower end of the shaft may be journaled in a similar bearing .79 fixed to a cross member 32 joined between each of the upright supporting members 30 and its companion upright supporting member 29, at the lower ends of the latter.

A tension member 82, which may be in the form of a short length of chain as shown, is connected between control shaft 77 and the lateral extension 71 of each bearing bracket so that rotation of the control shaft in one direction (clockwise as seen in Figure 4) simultaneously rocks all of the brackets of the set of scrubbers in a direction (clockwise in Figure 4) to carry the brushes 38 of each set thereof laterally outwardly away from the median vertical plane of the base frame.

When the leading edge of a pasting plate approaches the brushes 38, therefore, both control shafts 77 are rocked on their vertical axes simultaneously in opposite directions to separate the brushes of the two sets thereof a distance far enough to clear the flange on the leading edge of the plate, and the brushes are held thus separated for the period of time it takes for the leading edge of the plate to advance rearwardly beyond the brushes. Thereafter, the control shafts 77 are rocked in the opposite direction (counterclockwise in Figure 4) to effect spring'propelled return of the brushes to their operative scrubbing positions engaged with the opposite faces of the plate.

Any suitable mechanism may be employed for simultaneously rocking the control shafts 77 in opposite directions to effect this function. By way of illustration, an air motor 84 mounted on the superstructure 13 midway between the control shafts 77 is provided to rock the shafts back and forth in opposite directions. The motor 84 comprises a cylinder having a piston 85 projecting forwardly therefrom and carrying a rack 86 with teeth on the opposite faces thereof. The rack teeth mesh with gear segments 87 fixed on arms 88 having their remote ends secured to the upper ends of the control shafts 77, as seen in Figure 5.

Therefore, when the piston 85 is drawn rearwardly into the cylinder of the air motor rocking motion is simultaneously imparted to the two control shafts 77 in opposite directions such as to pull the bearing brackets through the tension members 82 and cause separation of the brushes of the two sets thereof. When the piston 85 of the air motor is propelled forwardly of the cylinder of the air motor, retrograde rocking motion is simultaneously imparted to the two control shafts in directions to relieve the tension on the chains 82 and allow the compression springs 75 acting on the brackets to return the brushes to their operative scrubbing positions.

The operation of the air motor is controlled in a novel manner by the pasting plates themselves as their flanged leading edges reach a predetermined position closely adjacent to the brushes. For this purpose each plate has a cam 90 secured to the flange on the upper edge of the plate, preferably midway between the leading and trailing edges of the plate. This cam is successively engageable with a pair of cam followers 91 and 92 forming part of a valve operating mechanism generally designated 93, supported by the superstructure beam 15 substantially directly above the rubber driving wheels 18 in alignment with the flange 25 of each pasting plate fed into the apparatus. The valve operating mechanism, of course, includes an air valve 94 governing the supply of air under pressure to the air motor 84, and it will be understood that the latter is a double acting cylinder the piston of which is adapted to be forcefully moved back v and forth by air under pressure entering one end or the other of the cylinder under the control of the valve lines (not shown).

The valve operating mechanism 93 comprises a pair.

of elongated horizontal plates 96 and 97 suspended by drop rods 98 from the beam 15 and having downwardly directed flanges 99 at their adjacent edges, the flanges being parallel to the median plane of the base frame and spaced apart a distance to guidingly receive the flanged upper edge of a pasting plate entering the scrubbing apparatus to thus cooperate with the trough-shaped guide 27 to hold the pasting plate against flatwise motion while it is being fed into the scrubbing zone.

The valve 94 may be provided with the usual operating lever 100 having one end pivotally mounted on the housing of the valve, as at 101, and having a roller 102 mounted on its outer end to swing toward and from the median plane of the base frame. The valve may be mountedon the larger plate 96 of the pair thereof, and as is usual, clockwise swinging of the lever as seen in Eiguret) depresses the plunger of the valveagainstspring bias to connect one endof theair motor cylinder with the source of air under pressure. counterclockwise swinging of the lever effects spring propelledextension of, the valve plunger and connection of the oppositeend of the cylinder of the air motor; with the sourceof air under pressure,

The, cam follower 91 isfirst encountered by the. cam 90 on a pasting plateenteringthe scrubbing zone, and it is rotatably mounted, onythe iongarm ofa bell-crank lever, .104. pivotally supported on the plate 96 to swing about a-yertical axis l t) ;near; the operating; lever 100; for the air valve. The short leg 106 of the bell-crank lever is;adapted to engagetheroller 102 of; the operating lever 100 during rotation of; the beihcrankdever in the clockwise direCtion-asseenin Figuredand in which direction it is swung by theengagement of the cam 90 on a pasting platewith the cam follower 91 justbefore the flanged leading edge of, the pasting plate reaches the brushes. This imparts clockwise rocking motion to the lever 100 and causes .depression of the plunger of the valve 94, and consequently rearward propulsion of the piston of the air motor intoits cylinder to thereby rock the control shafts 77 in the direction to turn the bearing brackets of all of the brushes in the direction to separate the brushes of thetwo sets thereof,

After the flanged leading edge of the pasting plate has passed the. separated brusheea relatively short diseneeth am en. he p tee e e h m o w r. 92 ,to ,effect actuation of the control valve 94 and return of the, brushes to their operative scrubbing positions. For this purpose the cam follower 9 2 is mounted on one endof a lever-108 medially. pivoted as at 109, the otherend of the lever being connected with the long leg of the-bell-cranklever 104 by a link 11 0.

Consequently the cam, 90, during rearwardtravel of a pasting plate'into the apparatus, engagesthe follower 92 shortly after the flanged leading edge of the pasting platehas passed the brushes 36 to cause clockwise swinging motion of the lever 1 08 and through the link 110 effect counterclockwise rotation of the bell-crank lever 104, thereby allowing the operating lever 100 of the valve 94 to belmoved in the counterclockwise direction nde th nfl en e Qf biasing mea s. t n h Plunge tthe a v .Th ge o rse. ffe s eve mo en of. the Pis o he ai m e l t ee by h operating shafts. 77 in the direction toslacken the tension devices 82, and-thecompression springs 75 thereupon act on the brackets 39 to swing the brushes back to their operative positions engaging the opposite sides of the pasting plate just forwardly of its flanged leading edge.

It will be understood that since the next successive pasting plate to be scrubbed has its flanged leading edge in abutting engagement with the flanged trailing edge of a plate about toleave the scrubbing zone, that the cam 90 on the next plate serially engages the followers 91 and 92 of the valve operating mechanism to first effect separation of the brushes and then re-engagementof the same with the oppositefaces ofsaidnext plate, to clear both the trailingcdge of the first plate and the leading edgeof thenext onel The apparatus shown in Figures 8 and 9 is like that previously described, but differs therefrom in the provision of two sets of squeegees 112 to act upon the opposite cleansed surfaces of a plate as these surfaces emerge from thescrubbing zone, and operating mechanism 113 for moving the squeegees lateral ly back and forth between operative and inoperative positions. There are four squeegees in each set, and vertical operating shafts 114 at opposite sides of the median plane of the base frame, at the rear of the apparatus, mount the squeegees of each set one above the other, in positions such that their rubber blades 115 may bear against the ,directly behind the cylinder 84.

8 opposite. faces of a pasting plate at a zone slightly rearwardly of the brushes 38. Each operating shaft 114 is journalled in a series of verticallyvspaced bearings 1 16 fixed to one of a; pair of uprightchannels 117 disposed back to back on the rear of the apparatus, so that the operating shafts may oscillate on their vertical axes.

As shown best irrFigures l0 and 11, each-squeegee 112 comprises a T-shaped structure. The head 118 of the; T is formed of elongated complementary jaws 119 and 120, having the rubber blades clampedtherebetween; and the stem 121 of the T projects forwardly from the head and has its front end portion received in a notch 122 in its control shaft 114, to which it is securely anchored by a U-bolt 123. Thenotches, however, are soformed as to hold thesqueegees with their stems 121 at a slight angle to horizontal, as seenin Figure 8, so that; the adjacent end portionsof-adjacent blades nest one be,- hind the other, or overlap in their wiping action.

The stems 121 of thesqueegees are preferably formed of spring steel, and the forward end portion of each overlies a cleat 124 interposed between the stem and the bottom of the notch in the shaft. A set screw 124 threaded into the cleat and bearing upon the stem 121 of the squeegee affords means of adjusting the pressure with which the squeegees engage the surfaces of the pasting plates upon which they act, and these set screws may be locked in any desired position of adjustment by a lock nut threaded onto their outer ends, and bearing againstthe surfaces of the cleats remote from the stems 121 of the squeegees.

Like the shafts 7 7, the operating shafts 114 are also provided with gear segments 125 on their upper ends,

meshing witha common rack 126 fixed to the plunger 127 of an air cylinder 128 carried by the superstructure- In the position of the parts seen in Figure 9, air under pressure is acting upon the plunger 127 to-hold the same in a forward position,

withdrawn into the cylinder, and maintaining the control shafts 114 in one extremeof oscillatory motion at which the rubber blades of the squeegees are firmly engaged with the opposite facesrof a pasting plate passing through e ppe 'tt s-v projected rearwardly of the cylinder, by yielding bias acting thereoninternally of thecylinder, to impart oscillatory motion to the control shafts 114 in the direction to swingthesets ofsgueegees laterally away from Oneal other dis an e tfie ent le r, the flan e di gehd trailing edges of pasting plates passing through the ap-.

paratus.

Control mechanism 130, like, that provided for the,

brushes, effects separation of the squeegees slightly before the flanged leadingand trailing edges of pasting plates,

the same cams 90 on the flanged top edges of pasting plates passing through the apparatus. Hence, shortly after the cam 90 on one of the pasting plates has acted upon the follower 92, to effect re-engagement of the brusheswith theoppositefaces of a pasting plate at areas slightly forwardly of its flanged leading edge, the cam 90 engages the follower 91' 'of the control mechanism 130 for the squeegees, to release, the valve operating lever 100. This shuts off the air to the cylinder 12 8 and causes separation of the squeegees just before the flanged leading edge of the pasting plate reaches the zone at which the squeegees operate.

The cam- 90' on the pasting plate does not engage the second cam follower. 92 until the flanged leading edge of the pasting plate has passed rearwardly beyond the separated squeegees. Accordingly, actuation of the valve operating lever 100 through the engagement of cam 90 When the air is shut off, the plunger is with the follower 92' brings air under pressure back into the cylinder 128 and causes the squeegees to be engaged under pressure with the opposite faces of the pasting plate a slight distance forwardly of its flanged leading edge.

From theforegoing description together with the accompanying drawings it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that this invention provides an exceptionally efiicient means of controlling the operativeness of the brushes and squeegees of an apparatus for cleansing pasting plates; and that it achieves the best possible scrubbing action by reason of the fact that it employs two sets of scrubbers each comprising a number of individual brushes mounted for up and down scrubbing motion in unison as well as for lateral motion in a direction crosswise of their scrubbing motion, each independently of any other of the brushes, to enable the brushes to accommodate themselves particularly well to irregularities in the surfaces of the plates being scrubbed.

What we claim as our invention is:

1. Apparatus for scrubbing pasting plates after hides have been removed therefrom and as the plates, in vertical positions, travel edgewise along a defined path through a scrubbing zone, said apparatus comprising: a stationary vertical support at each side of said vertical plane; a bearing bracket mounted on each support for swinging motion about a vertical axis; a counterbalanced arm pivotally mounted on each bearing bracket for up and down swinging motion about a horizontal axis, each of said arms extending outwardly from its bracket along the path of travel of plates through the scrubbing zone and having an end portion remote from its pivot axis; a brush mounted on said end portion of each arm with its bristles facing said vertical plane; yieldable biasing means acting upon each bearing bracket for normally holding the brushes supported thereby swung toward said vertical plane and in engagement with the opposite sides of a plate passing through the scrubbing zone; drive means connected with said arms for swinging the same up and down about their horizontal axes; a rotatable control shaft adjacent to each of said bearing brackets; and a unidirectional driving connection between each control shaft and its adjacent bearing bracket operable to swing the bracket about its vertical axis in a direction against the force of the yieldable biasing means acting thereon to carry the brush supported by said bracket away from said vertical plane, as a consequence of rotation of the control shaft in one direction, from which position the brushes may be returned toward said vertical plane by said yieldable biasing means upon rotation of the control shaft in the opposite direction.

2. The apparatus set forth in claim 1, further characterized by the provision of means operated by the pasting plates during travel thereof through the scrubbing zone for simultaneously rocking each control shaft in said direction to move the brushes away from said vertical plane as the leading edge of the plate approaches the brushes, and for simultaneously rocking each control shaft in the opposite direction after the leading edge of the plate has passed the brushes.

3. Apparatus for scrubbing pasting plates after hides have been removed therefrom and as the plates, in vertical positions, travel edgewise along a defined path through a scrubbing zone, said apparatus comprising: a stationary vertical support at each side of said vertical plane; a bearing bracket mounted on each support for swinging motion about a vertical axis; an arm pivotally mounted on each bearing bracket for up and down swinging motion about a horizontal axis, each of said arms extending outwardly from its bracket along the path of travel of plates through the scrubbing zone and having an end portion remote from its pivot axis; a brush mounted on said end portion of each arm with its bristles facing said vertical plane; yieldable biasing means acting upon each bearing bracket for normally holding the brushes supported thereby swung toward said vertical down about their horizontal axes; a rotatable control' shaft adjacent to each of said bearing bracket supports; and a unidirectional driving connection between each control shaft and each adjacent bearing bracket, comprising a tension member having one end anchored on the control shaft and its other end anchored to the bearing bracket so that rotation of the control shaft in one direction effects bodily swinging of its bearing bracket about its vertical axis, against the force of said yieldable biasing means, to carry the brush on said bracket away from said vertical plane, said unidirectional driving connections providing for swinging of the brushes away from said vertical plane independently of said control shaft. 1

4. In apparatus for, scrubbing pasting plates after hides have been removed therefrom and as the plates, in vertical positions, travel edgewise along a defined path through a scrubbing zone: brush means at each side of a vertical plane in said path along which the plates travel through the scrubbing zone; means mounting said brushmeans for back and forth scrubbing motion in planes substantially parallel to said vertical plane and for lateral movement in directions substantially normal to said vertical plane toward and from operative positions in which the bristles of said brush means engage the opposite facesof a plate in the scrubbing zone; squeegee means arranged to bear against the opposite faces of a plateas said plate emerges from the scrubbing zone to remove excess water from the scrubbed surfaces of the plate; means mounting said squeegee means for lateral motion in directions substantially normal to said vertical plane toward and from operative positions bearing against the opposite faces of a plate emerging from the scrubbing zone; actuating means for moving the brush means to and from operative positions; other actuating means for moving said squeegee means to and from their operative positions; control means for said brush actuating means; control means for said squeegee actuating means; and means mounting said control means for the brush and squeegee actuating means in positions to be operated upon successively by a single part on a pasting plate passing through the apparatus, so that the brush means will be moved to inoperative positions slightly before the leading edge of the plate reaches the brush means and will be returned to their operative positions shortly after the leading edge of the plate passes the brush means, and so that said squeegee means will next be moved to inoperative positions slightly before the leading edge of the plate reaches the squeegee means and will be returned to their operative positions shortly after the leading edge of the plate passes the squeegee means.

5. Apparatus for scrubbing a series of plates while said plates are being transported edgewise in succession along a predetermined path comprising: a stationary vertically disposed support alongside said path of the plates; a plurality of bearing brackets; bearing means mounting said brackets in vertically spaced relation on said support for swinging motion of each bracket independently of the others about a vertical axis; a brush carrying arm for each bearing bracket; horizontal bearing means, the axis of which is substantially normal to the plane of a plate in position to be scrubbed, connecting each arm medially of its ends with one of said bearing brackets for free rocking motion of the arm about said axis and for bodily movement of the arm with the bearing bracket upon which the arm is mounted; a brush mounted on one end of each of said arms with the bristles thereof facing said plane to have scrubbing engagement with the adjacent side of a plate in position to be scrubbed; a counterweight on the other end of each arm balancing the weight of the brush mounted thereon; spring means indiv-ideally biasing each of. the v bearing-brackets. about its connection with the vertically disposed stationary, support in; a direction 'topressthe brushtmounted on the arm carried-bysaid: bracket against a plate in position to be scrubbedyandmeans for rocking all of the arms intunison about their, connections with their respective bearing brackets to,-move the brushes arcuately backand forth across the'faceofaplate in positionto be scrubbed;

-6. The apparatusiof claim 5, further characterized. by i11615PIOViSlQI1 of: a flexible tensiontmember connected to each of;said=bearingrbrackets at a distance from the bearing means by whichit vis connected to the stationary support;.iatcontrolr shaft; bearing means mounting said controlrshaft for rotation about itsaxis and positioning said shaftrvertically adjacentto but spaced from the bearing;;bracketsz to :which said flexible tension members are connected; and'meanssecuring all oftheflexible tension members to said control shaft so that rotation of the control shaftiwrapsthe tension members thereabout and rocksthe bearing members about their connections with the ;stationary support against the bias of the spring means to retract=allof thebrushes to inoperative positions.

7; The apparatus of claim wherein the means for rocking the brush carrying arms about their connections with the bearing members comprises: a power driven crankabovethe path of the plates to be scrubbed and substantiallyin linewith the arms; a pitman connecting said crank withone of said arms, said connection accommodating'horizontal swinging movement of the arm bodily with the bearing bracket upon which it is mounted; and link means connecting said arm with the otherarms, the connections ofsaid' link means with the arms-also accommodating horizontal swinging movement of the-armsbodily with-their respective bearing brackets.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the. means for rocking the brush carrying arms about their connections. with the bearing members comprises: a power driven crank above the path of the plates to be scrubbed'and substantially in linewith the arms; a pitman connecting said crankwith one of said arms, said connection accom modating horizontal swinging movement of the arm bodily with the bearing bracket upon which it is mounted; and link means connecting said arm with the other arms, the

-move all of the brushes to inoperative positions spaced away from the path of the plates, said means comprising a gear segment fixed to each control shaft with the gears thereof facing and directly opposed to one another but spaced apart; a rack meshing with both gear seg ments; and power means for reciprocating the rack.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,823,222 Whittsitt Sept. 15, 19st 1,982,356 Rutter Nov. 27, 1934 2,488,907 Griffin et al. Nov. 22, 1949 b 

